4 Veteran wide receivers the Cleveland Browns could target in trade
By John Suchan
Last offseason, the Cleveland Browns made a blockbuster trade when they acquired Amari Cooper from the Dallas Cowboys. He joined Donovan Peoples-Jones — who had his best season in 2022 — and then David Bell was added in the Draft.
Deshaun Watson will be in full force next season, and it will be nice to have Cooper and DPJ there. However, besides these two, the team really has many question marks in the wide receiver room. Can Bell become a bigger factor for them?
If they’re not sold, the Browns could be considering a trade to bring in more veteran help alongside Cooper. Cleveland is pretty strapped with their cap space, but they could become creative and make another trade. Let’s take a look at a few wide receivers that could fit the bill.
Cleveland Browns WR Target No. 4: Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
Long-time Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen is the oldest wide receiver in this list. He has continued to have a steady career with the Vikings and is currently in the midst of a deal that will take him through the 2025 campaign. However, he has the option to get out of the contract, potentially through a trade this offseason.
The Vikings would look to save a lot of money for their own cap space if they were to trade Thielen, especially as a post-June 1 designation. In the Vikings’ case, they could save a little over $13 million in cap space if they were to trade the long-time wide receiver.
When you take a look at Thielen’s statistics over his career, you can see a player that has been extremely consistent. Outside of a 2019 campaign in which he was injured, from 2016 until now, he has at least 67 receptions every season. He had a career year in 2018 when he caught 113 passes for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns.
This past season he again caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns and while the 32-year-old will be going into his 10th season, he could be a welcome addition to the Cleveland wide receiver crew.